


Finding You

by LilisBooks



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DC Animated Universe, DCU, DCU (Comics), Justice League - All Media Types, Superman - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst, Bat Family, Bruce is a good dad, Clark is older than Bruce, Confused Clark, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Falling In Love, First Meetings, Fluff, Hurt Bruce, M/M, Slow Burn, no secret identities
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-22
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2018-10-09 11:29:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 19,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10411161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilisBooks/pseuds/LilisBooks
Summary: Clark was a writer with something missing.Bruce was a single father of four kids.Maybe it was meant to be, maybe it wasn't





	1. The One Who Understood

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry if there's any mistake. English is not my first language and I'm a little rusty. This is un beta so if anyone would like to help me I would appreciate it a lot.  
> Hope you enjoy the reading.

“He’s the next Shakespeare!” people claimed as they walk into the theatre that night.

“I bet this play is just as marvellous as the last one”

“Maybe even more!”

Clark swallowed the acid that was threatening to leave his throat. His hands were sweating and he was on the border of a panic attack. Trying to calm himself down, he went outside through the side door, hoping to catch a breath. It was always like that, the premiere of a new play.

Lois, his fiancée, was greeting the public with a wide smile and glee in her eyes. She was excited about his success and wanted everything to go smoothly. Her attitude and graciousness charmed everyone in the room, and one could see in her actions how proud she was of her fiancé.

Clark saw her from the side of the building. He could go with her and greet everyone by her side, being charming and gallant, but right now he couldn’t do it. He needed to feel at peace in order to do that and right now the panic was controlling him, not the other way around.  

Lost in his thoughts, he didn’t feel Perry White, his producer and friend, approaching him.

“Worrying about the reviews already?” he asked before lighting a cigarette.

“Not really” answered Clark while rejecting the offer of a cigarette.

“Then what is it kid?” asked the man with curiosity.

Clark sighed.

“I don’t think I have it in me anymore,” he said more to himself than to his companion.

“What are you talking about?” Perry stopped smoking.

“What if…” Clark started asking, but before he could complete his thought, the door opened once again.

“There you are!” said Lois while closing the door “I’ve been looking for you everywhere”.

“Sorry Lo,” said Clark turning around to greet his fiancée “I was just talking to Perry”.

Lois smiled fondly at Perry before turning her attention back to him.

“Don’t be nervous Smallville, I’m sure everyone’s going to love it!” said Lois reassuringly.

“Listen to your girlfriend Kent, she’s a smart woman” stated Perry with confidence.

“Thanks, Perry” answered Lois while grabbing Clark’s hand.

“Only stating the truth” and with that, the man disappeared inside the theatre.

Lois pressed herself against Clark, hugging him, and for a while, it was all they needed. In moments like this, he remembered why did he love her so much.

“Is there something you want to talk about?” she said still pressed against him.

Clark didn’t know what to say… he knew she wouldn’t understand. Not even him understood it completely, to be honest, he just felt something was missing, but couldn’t name it or place it.

“It’s nothing,” he said placing his head at the top of her “You know how I get.”

“You have to get over that Clark!” she said separating herself from him “You are brilliant!”

“Lois…”

“I can’t do this tonight… just be there when the curtain opens, ok?” she said before turning around and walking through the door.

He sighed once again, he hadn’t count how many time he had sighed, but he knew it had been plenty. He collected himself and return to the theatre, hoping for the best but expecting the worst.

…

It had been worse than he ever feared. No one laughed when they had to and laughed when nothing funny was happening. And not a single person in the room had understood what the play was about.

“I loved the part where they reunite, it was so romantic,” said a woman behind him once the play had finished.

Clark sighed internally, it wasn’t supposed to be romantic.

“I couldn’t stop laughing when they said goodbye, it was so cheesy bordering on ridiculous,” said a man in the hallway next to the exit.

“I know, it was so surreal” answered the woman next to the man. 

Clark just wanted to escape.

“I told you Smallville, I told you they were going to love it” Lois said in the lobby of the theatre.

She was smiling brightly at everyone who crossed their path.

“It was brilliant kid, what were you worried about?” asked Perry before hugging him.

Clark returned the hug, awkwardly. He didn’t feel like looking anyone at the eyes right now. 

“What’s wrong Clark?” asked Lois in concern once Perry let him go.

“Are you feeling ok, son?” even Perry was concerned.

“I’m just feeling a little under the weather,” he said looking at the floor “I should go rest for a while”

“Nonsense!” said both of his companions at the same time “enjoy the party! Is for you”

“I’m just… just going to the bathroom” he said while running nervously towards the nearest door.

He turned around and realised he wasn’t in a bathroom, but a launch room, perfect for how he was feeling at the moment. In the middle of the room was a couch where he went to rest for a while. He leaned on the couch and closed his eyes for what it felt like a second before the door sprang open and multiple voices entered.

“Didn’t you loved when the man had to said goodbye?” said the voice of a little kid.

That startled Clark… It was a little too late for a kid to be up. But as he didn’t want to meet people, he made himself small in the couch and tried to pass unnoticed.

“You loved that part? I found it boring” replied a graver voice, but from a kid too.

“Boring? But it was beautiful!!!” the kid’s voice reached higher levels than what Clark thought possible. “Dad, tell him it was beautiful”

A chuckle was the only response.

“See? The old man agrees with me”

“I did not say that” answered a smooth and grave voice that melted Clark’s insides.

“Then what do you think about the play?” asked both kids at the same time.

Their father didn’t answer right away, but noise came to Clark’s ears like he was collecting something from the room. Finally, the noise ceased and it made Clark think the man had grabbed his kids.

“I think it was a heartbreaking piece, where you can see what men can and will do out of fear.”

“And what is that papa?” asked a third, softer, voice.

“Leaving their true love behind,” said the man before closing the door behind him.

Clark was speechless. Why did he hide? He should’ve greeted the man and talk to him, but now it was too late because Clark didn’t know if he would ever meet the mysterious man… 

The man who understood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Finding Neverland AU nobody asked for.


	2. Restless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why can't Clark get Him out of his head?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again I'm sorry for any grammatical mistake, or any kind of mistake at all tbh.  
> Hope you like the chapter!

After He closed the door, Clark stood up quickly to ran after him, but he wasn’t fast enough and as he did not saw The Man’s face, it was rather easy to lose him in the crowd.

At first, he had tried to locate the children, but after a while, he realised The Man had probably gone to the launch room to gather His kid’s stuff in order to go home. For the rest of the night no one, nor anything, improved his humour, not even all the praises he was getting from all the people in the party.

Lois had tried to make him smile; she couldn’t understand why her fiancé was so moody and miserable, but after Clark had growled that he wanted to be alone, she had left him to brood.

He returned home alone, before anyone else, but as he tried to fall asleep, millions of questions popped into his mind. Was the Man married? If that was the case… why didn’t His wife accompanied Him to the room? If he wasn’t married… then how did He have kids? Were they His? Was He single? Clark couldn’t be more than a few years older than Him, right? Was he ever going to meet Him?

Clark growled and hid the face in his pillow… What was happening to him? He tried to silence those questions, but as minutes turned to hours he realised that wasn’t going to happen. Giving up, he got out of bed and went to the kitchen to make himself some coffee but instead found Lois doing that.

“How are you feeling today Clark?” her voice was a little restrained, but then again, he had been kind of an ass towards her.

He couldn’t tell her the truth, but neither did he could lie to her, so…

“I’m sorry about last night Lo… I don’t know what got into me” that much was true.

She shook her head.

“Sometimes I don’t get you Clark, and when I try to, you just drift farther away from me”

The sadness in her voice made Clark feel awful… In his despair, he had hurt Lois.

“No Lois… I…” he started saying with sadness and sorrow in his voice.

“Do you even want to marry me?” she finally looked up, with tears in her eyes.

With his heart full of guilt, regret and love, he closed the distance between them and took her in his arms.

“Of course I want to marry you, Lois! Last night… it was a mistake, I’m sorry” 

At that moment, he realised he hadn’t asked Lois her opinion of the play, maybe she also understood what he was trying to say.

“It was such a lovely story,” she said as she pulled away and looked into his eyes.

“Really?” Clark’s heart dropped with her answer… but maybe she was saying lovely as in lovely sad.

“Absolutely, it was lovely how, despite the bump in the middle, the man reunited with his fiancée at the end of everything” her eyes sparkled at the last words, making

Clark unable to correct her, so he only nodded in response… Which made Lois happy in return.

“I’m really glad you liked it,” he said as he kissed her on the forehead and turned away to start making breakfast.

In the newspaper of the day were the reviews of the play and the result was… mixed, either they loved it or they hated it, but for Clark, they meant nothing, the only review he cared didn’t even have a face.

After breakfast, he locked himself in his studio, trying to find something to write or to get the voice of That Man out of his head, but as hours turn to days, he had succeeded at nothing. It had been a week since that event and a feeling, like a pull in his heart, was driving him crazy.

Lois understood, as a writer she knew what a pain was to find inspiration, and when she was inspired she would lock herself in her studio, and Clark would be lucky if he saw her in the next month. That was the life of the writers, finding inspiration was tough, but once they found it, nothing could stop them.

Frustrated, he growled at the notes in front of him and hid his face in his arms. He couldn’t forget how sad The Man had sounded when he answered his kids. Having had enough, he decided to go out for a walk, have some fresh air and some sun…The sun always gave him energy; he never understood why, but it was like the sun gave him strength.

As he stood up from his desk, he closed the notepad and hid it in the inside pocket of his jacket. Clark looked at his messy desk and felt a tad guilty about it, but if he didn’t leave right now, he might never leave and that was something unthinkable.

“Lois, I’m going out!” He yelled when he had reached the bottom of the stairs.

“Be safe!” she answered in return from their bedroom.

He smiled fondly at her concern. She was always like that.

Once outside, he breathed in the fresh air, filling his lungs with the oxygen he needed. The day was a sunny one and he always felt revitalized with the rays of the sun. Feeling full of energy and relaxed, he decided to walk towards the park.

As he approached the park, he noticed people having fun and enjoying themselves in the rays of the sun. Back in the days they’ve just met, Lois used to enjoy walking in the park, but now she preferred being inside, writing her own stories and marvelling people with them. She had found inspiration in her mind, unlike Clark. He still didn’t know where his inspiration came from.

He sat down on a bench, in the middle of the park, and opened his notepad. Instead of starting to write, he closed his eyes and focused on the sounds around him: dogs barking, cars passing and kids laughing. For a moment, he wondered if His kids were there, and what would they look like. A smile appeared on his face, but he didn’t open his eyes, remembering His voice, he even swore he was listening to His voice again.

“Damian, don’t be like that, your brothers want to play with you”

Clark opened his eyes with his heart beating like crazy… He was there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to give a nod to Clark having his powers thanks to the sun but... I don't think it's as smooth as I'd like to think.
> 
> Also, almost every Him, He or His with a capital letter (except a few after a punctuation sign) are referring to Bruce, The Man. (sorry if it's confusing)


	3. The Encounter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I deleted a chapter and merged it with the next one, so this was Chapter 3 and 4 and now it's only Chapter 3.

Clark froze… should he turn and meet the Man that had haunted him? Should he ignore Him and continue with his life? His heartbeat was drumming in his ears, so he tried to calm it down, to be able to listen to that voice again.

“Watch out!” screamed a voice when it was too late, because not even five seconds later a ball hit him in the face, sending him back and making him fall of where he was seated, completely knocked down. 

On the ground, Clark considered staying there until sunset, but that was not an option. He tried to be in a sitting position, but a big pair of hands pushed him down once more.

“Wha…?”

“Don’t try to sit, you might have a concussion” interrupted him a grave, smooth man’s voice.

Over a ball that was thrown by a kid?

The man chuckled “As a matter of fact, my son hits the ball very hard, so yes, you might have a concussion over a ball”.

So… He had said that aloud… great.

The man chuckled again and Clark realised he enjoyed the sound, a lot.

He hadn’t opened his eyes, afraid the sunlight might cause his headache to get worst, and, to be honest with himself, he enjoyed the feeling of the man’s hands on his chest… which weirdly enough he hadn’t taken them away.

A choir of voices came running towards them.

“Dad”

“Father”

“Dad!!!!”

Was the man holding him down the Man he couldn’t forget?

Clark’s heart began to beat faster at that thought and a blush crept on his cheeks… The Man could feel his heart beating fast.

The man took his hands away.

“Sir, are you alright?” asked a young, soft voice full of concern.

“I’m so, so sorry for what happened sir” the second voice, a little pitched, was full of guilt.

“Let him breathe,” said the man, stepping away.

Clark missed his warmth the moment that he left.

He tried to sit down, and this time no one stopped him. His vision was blurry, and he couldn’t focus on the faces in front of him… where were his glasses?

Clark started looking for them in a hurry when, again, a chuckle sounded at his left and someone offered him his glasses.

“Thank you” he mumbled with nervousness.

“Any time” came the reply, real quiet.

Clark’s cheeks were burning as he put his glasses. Now capable of seeing, he turned to the left and saw the one person he couldn’t get out of his head, and that sight took his breath away.

Next to him was what had to be one of the most beautiful human beings on Earth. Lips plump and just the perfect size, neither too big nor too small; a jawline that could cut glass, a hair as black as the night itself, a face worthy of a Greek god and eyes so blue that it was easy to get lost in them… which is what happened to Clark.

The man coughed to get his attention, making him blush even harder but incapable of looking away.

“I’m so sorry sir, it wasn’t my intention to hurt you,” said a high-pitched voice full of guilt and concern, making his heart melt and being able to finally tear away his gaze away from The Man.

Next to Him (the man) was a boy, with the same black hair, only in the case of the kid his hair reached his shoulders. He had blue eyes, although not as colour intense as his father’s. His eyes were full of tears and Clark wanted nothing more than to stop them.

“Don’t worry, you didn’t hurt me,” said Clark in his most reassuring voice.

“But you fell over” the boy was stubborn.

“I’m really clumsy,” he said dismissively.

The kid laughed at his lame attempt for a joke, and Clark was happy to see him smile and laugh. Even his father was chuckling “discreetly”.

“What’s your name?” asked Clark once the kid had calm himself.

“Richard Grayson Wayne,” said proudly the boy “But everyone calls me Dick, except my dad when he is mad” to that, his dad smiled.

“Nice to meet you, Dick, my name is Clark,” said Clark, offering his hand to the kid.

“Nice to meet you too, sir,” said Dick, shaking hands with him.

“Wait… Clark Kent, the famous writer?” asked Dick’s dad in his perfect, smooth grave voice.

Clark didn’t think it was possible to be redder.

“Ye… yeah” great, he was stuttering again. Taking a deep breath, he dared to ask the man’s name but was interrupted by Dick, whose eyes opened in surprise and covered his mouth with his tiny hand.

“I LOVE YOUR PLAYS,” said the boy full of excitement “SO AS MY BROTHERS”

“Dick…” said a small voice.

“… Really Grayson, really?” the kid with the grave voice sounded annoyed.

“Ttt…” was the little kid’s response.

Dick ignored his brothers and with a big smile on his face, he introduced them to Clark.

“This is Jason Todd Wayne,” said Dick with his arm around the neck of a boy not less than two years younger than him. The boy had the same blue eyes as his brother, but in his dark hair was a white stripe right in the middle.

“Nice to meet you, Jason,” said Clark with amusement in his voice.

“Likewise, sir” the boy mumbled under his breath, embarrassed.

Dick laughed and let Jason go, just to grab a tiny and skinny boy, with big blue eyes, porcelain skin and black hair, who looked fragile and shy.

“This is Timothy Drake Wayne,” said Dick proudly, with love in his eyes “We call him Tim for short, and he is really, really smart”

“You didn’t say anything good about me” complained Jason from the side.

Dick just rolled his eyes.

“It’s an honour to meet you, sir,” said Tim looking anywhere but him.

“The honour is mine Tim,” said Clark in response, startling the kid a little.

Tim only smiled and looked at him for like five seconds before slipping away from his brother’s arms.

“And finally,” said Dick while holding in his arms the smallest kid of all of them, who had a fiery look in his eyes “this is my brother Damian Wayne”.

“Nice to meet you, Damian,” said Clark with a smile.

“I don’t like theatre” was the kid’s response.

“Why not?” Clark asked him with a frown on his face.

“It’s boring and non-sense to pretend something is real when it’s not,” said Damian defiantly.

And before he could hear his reply, Damian let himself go off his brother’s embrace and went back to where they were before. Sharing a look with his father, Dick took his brothers with him and followed Damian to the picnic they were having.

The Man at his side sighed loudly. Clark didn’t know a sigh could be full of sadness and concern.

“I am sorry for that… he’s just…”

Clark wanted to erase that Man’s sadness with more intensity than he wanted to erase Dick’s sadness.

“It’s okay,” said Clark, moving an inch closer to the man. “Theatre is not for everyone”.

The Man sighed again.

“It’s not that… he used to be such a happy kid…” The Man’s eyes were lost on the horizon, maybe the past.

“What happened?” asked Clark, moving closer to him “If… I can know, that is”

The Man turned to look at him and gave him a sad smile. Clark’s heart twisted inside.

“His mother left two years ago… he’s not been the same ever since” His voice was full of sadness.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” said Clark, finally almost touching the man because how close they were.

“It’s okay… we didn’t love each other… and it was a long time ago” He looked at the horizon while saying this. He was lost in the past, for sure.

Clark looked at him and couldn’t help but think how beautiful this man was. He was looking at his sons, who had started playing ball once again, except for Damian, who was skulking in the picnic they were having, alongside a big black dog, who was sitting at his side. Dick was looking at him, which Jason took advantage and throw the ball at his head, starting a fight.

“So… you’re single”

That seemed to take The Man out of his sadness because He chuckled once more.

“Yes… I’m single” he said with amusement in his voice.

“My name is Clark… Clark Kent, by the way” he said, extending his hand for the other man to take it.

“I know," said The Man with more amusement than before “and I’m Bruce, Bruce Wayne”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for any mistakes


	4. Make Believe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Clark's age: 36  
> Bruce's age: 34  
> Dick's age: 10  
> Jason's age: 8  
> Tim's age: 7  
> Damian's age: 5

Suddenly, the big black dog push his way into Clark’s lap, drooling all over him and making him slip once more. Although he loved dogs, right now he was a little frustrated with this one, simply because it had made him break contact with Bruce.  
   
“Owf!” he said while falling.

“Titus NO!” said Bruce with concern, trying to move the dog away from Clark.

“Bad Titus!” said Damian, running towards them with a dark look in his eyes.  
   
Titus calmed himself, letting Clark sit before resting his big, black, doggy head on his lap.  
   
“It’s ok,” said Clark smiling reassuringly at both of them, “I think he likes me”

“That’s impossible!” said Damian, grumpy.

“Why is that?” asked Clark, patting the dog subconsciously.

“Damian…” Bruce lowered his voice in a warning tone, but the boy ignored him.

“Because no, Titus doesn’t like you, that’s why” the child huffed at Clark.

“Damian, you’re being rude” Bruce reprimanded.  
   
Damian didn’t respond, he just looked at his father with defiance written in his eyes.  
   
Before anything could happen, Dick interrupted.  
   
“What’s going on?”

He saw when Titus left Damian’s side to go running towards Clark, tackling him. But it was the look in his father’s eyes what concerned him.

“This ferocious bear just tried to attack me, but I manage to tame the beast,” said Clark in his most serious tone.

He was trying to break the tension between Damian and Bruce and to light the mood.  
   
His response made the kids laugh, except Damian who was scowling with his arms crossed. Bruce was smiling, although he tried to hide it.  
   
“And how did you tame this ferocious beast?” asked Tim as he sat down in front of Clark, his eyes wide open in surprise.

“Yeah, how did you manage that?” asked Jason as he pulled Dick down with him to sit next to Tim on the grass.

“Beast? What Beast? That’s Titus MY DOG” Damian was raising his voice.

“Damian…” grumbled Bruce.

“What if I can prove you that this is, in fact, a big bad Grizzly Bear?”

“HE’S A DOG” Damian was bright red with fury.

“Oh, c’mon Dami! Let him prove it!!” said Dick with a grin on his face.

“Yes!” said Jason, excitedly as he fist pumped the air.  
   
Bruce didn’t say anything, he was watching his children with an amused smile on his face.  
   
“I don’t know kids…” said Clark, embarrassed.

He had said that to lower the tension, but Damian was angrier than ever.

“I’d like to see you taming the ferocious beast that is Titus, Mr Kent,” said Bruce with his smooth voice and a grin on his face.

“Clark!” said Kent without thinking, almost interrupting the other man “please, call me Clark” added while looking at Bruce.

He heard snickering and remembered they weren’t alone. Turning to the boys, he added in a rush of breath “You can all call me Clark”.

Jason and Dick were nodding and giggling, but not Tim. The boy's big blue eyes were glued to Clark while his arms hugged a teddy bear tightly. Freeing himself from his brother’s grip, Tim got up and walked towards Clark, stopping once they were looking eye to eye.  
   
“Would you show us how you did it Mr Clark?” asked Tim in a soft sweet voice “please?” added, a single word that melted Clark’s fear and anxieties.

“Of course, I will,” he said with a smile, standing up and looking towards the kids “I’m just going to need you all to sit down right there on the bench, next to your Dad. I don’t want the beast to hurt you”

“But Father…” the youngest grumbled.

“Sit with me Damian, and enjoy the show,” said Bruce, opening his arms towards his son.

Damian hopped up into his father’s lap, hiding hide his face in the crook of Bruce’s neck.

“Fine, but I’m not gonna enjoy it” the little kid mumbled.  
   
Bruce just chuckled and looked up at Clark with a smile on his face.  
   
For a moment, Clark could swear he forgot how to breathe. Bruce looked handsome with the sun on his face, shining brightly his dark hair and piercing blue eyes.

He was breathtaking indeed, Clark had thought that since the first moment he laid eyes on him, but now, seeing him happy and relaxed, Clark felt something warm in the pit of his stomach spreading to his heart.  
   
With a blush, he returned to reality, where three kids were looking at him, expectantly. One had an incredulous look on his face, but was watching too.  
He knew what he had to do.  
   
“Ok…” he said, taking a deep breath, before continuing.  
   
For the next few minutes, he wasn’t Clark Kent, famous writer, no; he was Kal, owner of a circus and famous beast tamer.

“Gentlemen in the audience, welcome to the incredible, the marvellous, Krypton Circus!” 

“Yei!!!!” the children cheered with joy.

Using the same tone of voice as a ringmaster, he announced:

“For today’s main event we have a special guest here in our circus, but he’s not a regular guest oh no, he is the most ferocious, heartless, coldest killer ever to exist".

He paused to build the drama and the kids seemed to be getting into the spirit of it. Clark imagined for a moment that he really was in a circus, and from the look in their eyes, the children thought so too.  
   
“Please welcome… TITUS THE MIGHTY BEAR!” he exclaimed, pointing towards Titus who came running towards him.

“Stop! You, dangerous creature” he said while making stopping motions with his hand “Prepare to meet your equal”

Titus stopped and tilted his head to the right, looking confused.

Dick and Jason were laughing out of control, Tim was smiling widely and even Damian’s face had lost some of its scowl.

“You, ferocious and tenacious beast, are you ready to come at me?” he said, stopping in front of the dog and pointing at him.  
   
Titus was still confused.  
   
"Beast, as of right now, you are under my command, and you're going to obey every order I give you.” He made a pause to point to the dog. “Do you understand?"

In response, Titus barked loudly before running towards Clark and tackling him to the ground once more.  
   
All the kids, even Damian, laughed at how ridiculous he looked.  
   
When Clark heard Bruce's soft laugh once again, he knew it was worth it.  
This family was worth any silliness to see them happy, and he knew that he would do everything in his power to ensure they stayed that way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it!


	5. A Laugh

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you like this chapter!
> 
> Sorry for the long wait, exams, projects and "real" life were consuming me.  
> Now that I'm free off all that, I hope to post more often.
> 
> Again, sorry for the long wait.

“Need a hand?” asked Bruce once he realized Titus wasn’t planning on letting Clark sit up anytime soon.

“I’d appreciate that, yes,” Clark said trying to dodge the drool that was coming out of the dog’s mouth.

Dick, Tim and Jason were on the grass, laughing as hard as they could. Next to them was Damian, who still had a frown on his face but was trying very hard not to smile. Bruce's smile was tender whenever he looked at his sons.

“Shush Titus, go away,” said Bruce, looking face to face at the dog.

Titus barked in response.

Bruce sighed.

“The dog never listens to me,” he said to Clark “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay” answered Clark, trying to remove any worry Bruce might have had that the dog was heavy and might crush Clark's chest. Clark would put up with it if it meant Bruce would stay close to him.

Bruce gave him a small smile to reassure Clark that he was going to help.

Clark couldn’t help but wish Bruce wanted more than to just help him, and that thought made him blush.

Bruce tilted his head at Clark’s blush.

“Father, I think I can help,” said Damian’s little voice from behind Bruce.

“Damian…?” Bruce’s voice was full of suspicion.

“I promise it won’t hurt the… writer”. He said the last word with contempt, which made Clark think Damian could well have been saying alien with his tone of voice.

“Titus, come” ordered Damian from where he was sitting.

Titus went running towards his master, barking with excitement. Clark felt a literal weight being lifted from his chest.

“Thank you,” he said, a little out of breath looking at the sky.

From the corner of his eye, he could see Bruce blushing, making his heart flutter.

He was happy.

“Are you alright?” Bruce asked with concern, lying beside Clark and looking at the sky too.

“Never better” Clark answered, relaxed.

Bruce chuckled, and even though he only just met the man, Clark was sure it was his favourite sound in the world.

“You’re like no man I’ve ever met before, Clark Kent,” said Bruce with amusement.

“I’ll take that as a compliment” answered the man in question, playfully.

“As you should” was Bruce’s response, but Clark couldn’t name the emotion behind Bruce’s words.

They were silent as they kept looking at the sky, while Bruce’s boys kept playing with the ball and Damian hoarded Titus.

“Thank you for what you did back there, I haven’t heard my kids laugh ever since their mother left,” said Bruce after a while.

“You’re welcome, it’s the least I could do” answered Clark, a little embarrassed. He could feel his blush returning once more.

“The least?” asked Bruce, curious.

“Yeah, they seem like they needed some laughs,” said Clark like it wasn’t a big deal.

“That they do” was Bruce comment, but his voice sounded distant like he was lost in his memories.

These moments of silence didn’t feel awkward. It was something new for Clark. He only wished to fill the empty spaces because he really enjoyed the sound of Bruce’s voice.

“I’m so sorry about that,” said Clark, lost in his thoughts.

“About what?” asked Bruce, startled. Clark’s question had come out of nowhere.

“Their mother...” Clark felt his throat suddenly dry, preventing him from talking.

“Don’t be, it’s for the best,” said Bruce dismissively, “besides, it’s not your fault.”

“Still, it’s not what’s supposed to happen,” said Clark with concern, why was Bruce so calm?

“No, in fact, it isn’t” stated Bruce, coldly.

“Can I ask…?” Clark started asking, before feeling once more his throat dry.

Bruce stayed silent for a moment, long enough for Clark to start wondering if he had crossed a line he shouldn’t have crossed.

“If you don’t mind, I don’t particularly like talking about these things” was Bruce answer after a long moment.

“It’s okay, I won’t pressure you,” said Clark reassuringly.

“Thank you,” said Bruce, more relaxed than he was moments before.

“It’s just that… I can’t understand who would ever want to leave you behind” Clark’s words were out of his mouth before he could really think what he was saying.

Bruce turned his head so he could look at Clark, and he just knew one of Bruce’s eyebrows was lifted. 

“I mean, all of you,” said Clark, stammering, “Dick, Damian, Jason and Tim… and you, obviously, being the father and all”

Bruce said nothing, making Clark more nervous.

“I mean leaving you obviously seems insane too, but the kids, who could leave their children behind?” said Clark, nervous and embarrassed by his words.

Clark didn’t think there was a colour redder than red, but his face was saying otherwise. Meanwhile, Bruce just kept silent and before Clark embarrassed himself more, Bruce laughed. Actually laughed.

It was music to Clark’s ears.

“You’re a dork,” said Bruce between laughs “a cute one, but still a dork”

“Thank you, I’m proud of that” answered Clark, still nervous but a little playful too.

Bruce laughed even more.

“Father, are you alright?” asked Damian as he ran towards them. His face was full of concern.

“Old Man, what’s that sound?” Jason said behind Damian.

“Is a hyena dying nearby?” asked Dick with worry.

“Who hurt you, dad?” Tim’s voice was worried.

Clark couldn’t believe what he was hearing… why were Bruce’s sons worried? Have they never heard their father laugh?

His unspoken questions were answered. 

“Don’t worry kids, I’m fine,” said Bruce once he had calmed down “ Mr Kent here”

“Clark” interrupted Kent “Please, call me Clark”.

Bruce grinned before continuing.

Clark was sure he heard giggles coming from the kids.

“Clark here made me laugh”

“Laugh?!?!?!?!” asked the four incredulous children.

“You don’t laugh,” said Dick, decisive.

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard you laugh, Dad” was Tim’s comment. His voice was full of confusion.

“Are you capable of that?” asked Jason, mockingly.

Damian said nothing, but his eyebrows were in a frown.

“I am capable of laughing, as you might have seen,” said Bruce to his boys.

“Then why haven’t we heard you in like… forever?” was Damian’s question, challenging him

Bruce stood silent for a moment, thinking about his answer. Clark didn’t dare to move or even breathe.

“Maybe I’ve hadn’t had a real reason to laugh,” said Bruce as a response with a smile on his face.

“And why now?” asked Jason, a little angry.

“Because seeing you happy, made me happy, and I felt like laughing,” said Bruce, lovingly, to his son.

That answer seemed to have appeased Jason, who still tried to hide it with a fake frown.

“And besides” added Bruce once his kids had returned to their games “no one has ever looked as adorable and cute while concerned about me and my children”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I made that reference to Damian saying alien.  
> Don't hate me.


	6. I'm Sorry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it just me or there is way too much fluff in this story?

Clark’s cheeks were as red as an apple by the compliment.

To avoid further embarrassment, he decided to make a move, literally.

“Would you like to go over to the children and play with them?” he asked Bruce in a casual tone, trying to hide how nervous he was. 

This man made him nervous, but not because he didn’t trust him, but because he was starting to trust him.

In response, Bruce laughed, but not as loudly or openly as before.

Clark ignored the pang in his heart at that realisation. 

“Sure, let’s go see if the boys want to play with us,” said Bruce, while standing up and offering Clark a hand to stand up too.

Even though he didn’t need help, he accepted the hand that was being offered.

Once on foot, they began their walk toward the kids. Dick and Jason were throwing the ball while Tim was looking at the grass with a magnifying glass like he was studying it. Damian, on his own, was petting Titus to sleep. His face seemed… sad, like there was a weight on in his shoulders, too heavy for him to lift on his own.

“Hey guys,” said Clark, once he was close enough for the children to hear him.

“Hi, Clark” answered Dick and Jason in unison, still throwing the ball and not looking at him.

“Hi Mr Kent” replied Tim, still concentrated on his magnifying glass.

Damian’s response was a nod of the head. Clark thought of that as progress.

“Your Dad and I were wondering if you’d like to play with us,” he said once the kids stopped what they were doing and turned to look at him.

“Sure,” said Dick with a wicked smile while turning to look at Jason “we’d love that”.

Jason’s smile was as wicked as Dick’s.

Clark was amazed at how the boys’ smile could be wicked.

“Oh, boy” muttered Bruce and Tim in unison, as quietly as possible.

Clark chuckled at how similar they appeared.

Bruce didn’t move, but Tim stood up beside his big brothers.

Seeing this, Damian stood up and positioned himself beside his father.

“Count me in,” he said while crossing his arms and frowning again.

“Perfect!” was Clark’s answer full of enthusiasm before being hit in the stomach with the ball, hard.

“THIS IS WAR” screamed the two oldest boys before running away from them.

Clark turned to look at Bruce, whose response was just a shrug before running towards his boys. Clark laughed as he ran behind Bruce.

It was a war of catch, whoever had the ball was supposed to hit the others, so the point was to take the ball away from the one who has it without being hit.

It was more strategic than what Clark previously thought, but Bruce was patient with him and, for this time, was his partner in crime.

Clark ignored the butterflies in his stomach as much as he could.

The best at this game was Bruce, obviously, followed closely by Dick and Tim. Jason was impulsive, acting before thinking, and Damian was a mix of them all. Clark, being a beginner, was hit several times, even with Bruce’s help.

After a while, Clark threw himself on the grass, exhausted.

Bruce seeing him, went to lay beside him.

They didn’t talk, but it was everything they both needed. 

Suddenly, Clark remembered.

“Lois!” he said, jumping out of his skin and standing up with guilt.

How could he have forgotten his fiancée?

What time was it?

“Is everything alright?” asked Bruce with concern as he too stood up next to him.

Clark’s blush was now one of guilt.

“Yeah, yeah,” he said, not daring to look Bruce in the eyes “It’s just that… I have to go”

“Oh, I see” was all Bruce said, and Clark didn’t want to read more in the fact that Bruce’s voice was sad.

“I had a great time!” he said, worried Bruce thought he was leaving out of boredom “it’s my fiancée”

“Your fiancée?” asked Bruce, lifting an eyebrow with curiosity.

“Yeah… Lois, she’s… she’s expecting me” Clark said in a rush.

“Alright, but… before you go, can I ask you for one more thing?” asked Bruce cautiously, not willing to dare look him in the eyes.

“Anything” responded Clark and he realised, as soon as the words were out of his mouth, he would do anything Bruce asked him to do.

“Can you say goodbye to my boys before you leave?” asked Bruce with a blush on his face “They seem to like you and…”

“Yeah, of course, I’ll do it” replied Clark in a second, before they started walking towards the kids.

The children were all laying down in the grass, exhausted.  
Clark didn’t want to leave them.

“I’m sorry, but I have to go,” he said with sorrow in his voice once he was close to them.

The kids stood up, even Damian, and approached him to look directly into his eyes. Their faces were a mix of sadness and disappointment.

“Did we upset you?” was Dick’s first question.

“Did the Old Man say anything to you?” asked Jason instead.

“Are you feeling well?” was Tim’s question.

Damian just shrugged, but it was clear he was interested in knowing.

“No, not at all!” Clark answered trying to appease the children “You did nothing wrong guys, I had a great time laughing with you and talking to your Dad”.

“Then why is it that you’re leaving so suddenly?” asked Damian in his most casual tone, fooling no one.

“I…,” he said, nervous “I didn't realise how much time has passed”.

“Did you have an appointment we interrupted?” asked Dick, worried.

“No!” exclaimed Clark, trying to sooth the boy “No, I didn’t have an appointment, it’s just that…”

“Don’t be nervous Clark, they are not going to bite you… I think” Bruce said in an attempt to relax Clark and stop him from being nervous.

It worked because Clark smiled.

“You’re right,” he said looking at Bruce with sadness. Suddenly he wished he didn’t have Lois.

Then, he felt guilty for that thought.

“My girlfriend must be worried about me,” he said, looking at the kids.

“You have a girlfriend?!?!” the boy's replied together.

“Well… yes, and we are soon to be married” he responded, confused by their words.

None of the kids said anything, and they all looked at the ground, making Clark start to worry… again.

Suddenly, Dick lifted his head and his face was bright with a sm e, like he had an idea. He approached his Dad and Clark and, after exchanging a look with his Dad and being given a nod in response, he looked at Clark.

“Can we see you tomorrow?” asked Dick in his most soft tone, with a sad look in his eyes and his bottom lip a slightly out.

Clark’s heart melted over the kid. And although he knew he was being manipulated, he couldn’t say no.

“Of course, I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said with a smile.

“Yes!” Dick exclaimed before turning to his brothers.

They all seemed a little cheered up, and Clark felt something warm spreading across his chest.

He turned to look at Bruce, who was nowhere to be found.

Clark was startled, a minute ago Bruce was next to him, and now? Where was he?

Lost in his thoughts, he didn’t notice the kids walking away from him.

“See you tomorrow Clark!” Dick exclaimed, pulling Clark out of his absorption.

Clark looked at them and smiled, ignoring the pang in his chest once more.

Bruce was carrying Damian; whose head was in the crook of his Dad’s neck. Dick and Jason were fighting over who was going to grab their Dad’s left hand while Tim hung from Bruce's jacket at his right side.

Bruce never turned to look back at Clark. 

Sighing, Clark made his way back home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah.... the angst is coming (?)


	7. Lois

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The angst is here.  
> More or less.

Although Clark had said goodbye to the Waynes, and Lois was probably waiting for him, he didn’t feel like going back home. At least not yet. Somehow, he had found inspiration, and he needed to write before that feeling was gone.

He sat on the park bench near the exit, grabbed his notepad and began writing.

Time stopped, it was just him and his notepad.   
And the memories of the day.   
Those he could not get rid of.

Clark tried to ignore the way he felt at the thought of Bruce, the way his stomach twitched, his heart fluttered and his pulse hammered in his ears.

Eventually he stopped writing and, to his surprise, night had fallen.

He made his way back home slowly, enjoying the sound of the crickets and the dogs barking at the moon.

It was a perfect night for a romantic walk.  
And his first thought wasn’t Lois.

Finally, he arrived home.

The lights were off and dinner was waiting for him at the table. There was a note with his plate from Lois, saying she hoped he'd had a great day and that she couldn't wait to hear about it in the morning. 

Clark wasn’t feeling hungry, so he put the food away and went to search for his fiancée. He found her deeply asleep in the couch, like she had tried to wait up for him to come home. Clark felt guilty at that sight and thought.

After kissing her forehead, he carried her upstairs to their bedroom and put her in their bed. She was a breath-taking sight, with the moonlight reflected on her pale skin and her red hair spread around her face. In that moment, Clark fell in love with her once more and the image of Bruce faded from his mind.

He didn't want to wake her, she rarely looked so peaceful and relaxed. So, he walked to their changing room in the quietest way possible. Once there, he looked at himself in the mirror and, not for the first time, wondered how a woman like Lois had fallen for a guy like him.

It’s not that he wasn’t handsome, he was, very much; with his electric, almost alien, blue eyes, his hair as black as the night and his face with the right proportions and symmetry. No, his problem wasn’t the way he was by nature, but the way he looked by choice.

He was a pretty big guy, muscular, because of all the work on the farm he had done as a kid. He was tall, but didn't like to stand out in a crowd. So, he wore baggy suits, three sizes larger than he needed to. Clark deliberately portrayed himself as clumsy and awkward too. His eyes were hidden behind a pair of glasses he didn’t need and his clothes were always messy and rumpled.

That man wasn’t him. 

The first time Lois and Clark met was in Perry White’s office. Both of them were asking for budget for their respective plays. Lois didn’t even bat an eye towards Clark’s direction, but for Clark was the opposite. The sight of Lois Lane made him speechless and breathless. Years after, when people asked him what he thought the first time he had seen Lois, his response was always the same: She had left a mark without knowing since the very beginning, when their eyes met for the first time.

It took Clark some time to overcome his shyness, and awkwardness, to woo Lois. After months of pining, the night of his first premier, everything changed.

He was new, with no idea how the theatre world even worked in real life. Perry was the one who got people to come to the premiere, no one knew who Clark was. And he was 10 times more nervous than usual.

Lois, thanks to Perry’s ‘kind’ words, was there looking more beautiful than Clark had ever seen her. And when their eyes met that night, it was like Lois had seen him for the first time. She kept her distance, but once inside the theatre, Clark felt her presence beside him and all his nervousness was gone.

He knew in that instant that he could not wait a moment more to ask that woman out on a date, even if his anxiety killed him in the process.

After the premier, she listened to him explain what he was trying to say with his play; the fear of failure, of not being good enough, the fear of not being understood.

People around him nodded politely, but not Lois. No, she had a light in her eyes. A light Clark didn't recognise. Lois didn’t get the feelings Clark had, but she was empathic and compassionate, making Clark feel, for the first time since leaving Smallville, that there was someone out there who accepted him.

Since that moment forward, they became inseparable, The Daily Planet Editorial’s darlings.

Soon after, they both triumphed in their respective fields, Lois as a novelist and Clark as a play writer, both talented and incomparable. When one triumph, the other one was there to cheer for them. When one failed, the other was there to make them smile. 

Although Lois never understood him, she accepted him and loved him with all her heart. And that’s all Clark needed and wanted from someone. 

The Clark that Lois knew, and was soon to be married to, wasn't the real Clark at all.

It’s not that he didn’t trust Lois, he did without doubt. But when you realise no one understands, it becomes easier to hide the real person away from judgement or prejudice.

Clark couldn’t remember why he chose to hide who he really was. After some time, he didn't even remember who the real Clark Kent was. Maybe that man didn’t exist anymore, and all that was left was the façade Clark had created all those years ago.

People accepted that façade, even loved it. For the most part, he was content with it.

Clark loved Lois, and he knew that although he wasn’t being dishonest, he wasn't being entirely honest.

It’s not that he had created a whole other persona, but rather that he had exaggerated some aspects of himself and pushed away thoughts and ideas that crossed his mind. Thoughts that would not be accepted by people or society.

Rather than lying, it was hiding in plain sight.

Suddenly, the thought of Bruce Wayne and his kids crossed his mind, and a feeling of uneasiness came over him.

Clark separated himself from Lois and went to open the window, expecting the fresh air of the cool night to refresh his mind and his heart.

Clark still didn’t understand why the thought of Bruce Wayne made him weak at the knees and confuse him, not knowing which feeling was real and which was an illusion.


	8. An Impression

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so, so sorry for taking so long in updating (more than a month!) but I've been through some things and I didn't have inspiration, at all, to keep writing.
> 
> I'm really sorry guys, but in return, I have written three more chapters that I'll be posting these next days (is that how it's said?).
> 
> In other news, JL panel at Comic Con will be this Saturday and im sad im not there.
> 
> Anyways, enjoy this new chapter and again, sorry for any mistake (it's un-beta) and for the delay.

Bruce arrived home exhausted but at the time, going to bed was not an option.

“Alfred, we’re home!” exclaimed the man while opening the door.

“Dick, help me out with your brothers, please,” Bruce said pointing at Tim and Jason, who had been fighting for a while.

“Sure thing, Dad” answered the little boy before running towards his siblings.

Bruce then turned to look at Damian, who was sound asleep in his arms.

His heart filled with warmth as he placed a kiss at the top of his son’s head.

“Ah, master Bruce,” said the butler, startling Bruce, “do you need any help with the young master?” he asked while pointing towards the kid in Bruce’s arms.

“No, thank you, Alfred,” said Bruce with a chuckle “but I do need help with the young masters over there” he added before turning around to let Alfred see the fight that

Dick had tried to stop his brothers but ultimately decided to join. 

“Sure thing, sir,” said the butler with hidden amusement “I shall do so”.

Bruce chuckled once more as he stepped into the Manor. He knew that as soon as the boys saw Alfred they would calm down and stop the fighting. He was grateful for his guardian every single day of his life.

As he walked through the halls of the Manor, memories of the day started flooding his mind, all of them playing catch, his kids laughing so happily for the first time in so long… And all thanks to Mister Clark Kent.

Clark Kent, the man capable of writing beautiful and heart-breaking stories, more handsome than any picture could ever portray him as, the perfect combination between dork and adorable, so bright and full of light Bruce could not help but want to be next to him...

Too bad he had a fiancée.

Not wanting to think about Clark Kent, Bruce continued walking towards Damian’s room. He was trying to walk as quiet as possible, but the house was old and the wood cracked as he walked above it. 

As he reached Damian’s room, Bruce stopped and looked down at his son’s face. He was so calm and peaceful, Bruce’s heart clenched in his chest, worrying for his kid. Ever since Talia left them, Damian been angry, distant, cold. He was not the joyful boy he used to be, and it broke Bruce’s heart to see him so bitter so young.

He had tried everything to make his boy smile again, but as time passed he realized there was nothing he could do except love his son with everything he had and hope that one day Damian would realize Bruce was never going to leave him.

Bruce hated Talia for what she had done to their kids. He could bear everything she could to him, but hurting his children? That was never a good idea.

Looking at Damian, he vowed that the day he finds Talia, she was going to pay for every tear his kids had ever shed over her. And Bruce was a man of his word.

Tucking Damian in his bed, he began humming Damian’s favourite song, while whispering soft words of affection. 

“Every day I love you a little more Damian, every day you surprise me with the way you are and the way your mind works. I’m so proud of everything you are and all I want in this life is for you to be happy”.

Bruce kissed Damian’s forehead and stroke his hair absentmindedly.

“What does it take for you to smile again? To laugh the way, you used to? I know you miss mom, but I miss my precious boy who loved life and everyone around him” Bruce continued to whisper.

“I won’t pressure you to talk to me, you’ll do that in your own time, but know, please know, that I’m never going to leave you. Not in this lifetime”.

A tear fell on Damian’s forehead, and lovingly, Bruce stroked his hair once more, wiping the tear before kissing his son’s head again and getting up to leave his room. 

…

As Bruce entered the dining room, he was not surprised to find Dick and Jason on the floor and Tim with his nose buried in a new book.

“You have until three to stop what you're doing, or else,” he said in his most authoritative voice. 

His kids, as usual, ignored him.

“One…” he said, while he noticed out of the corner of his eye the way Tim began to lower his book.

“Two…” he continued, this time more menacing, and notice how Dick had stopped moving. Only Jason was still fidgeting.

“Thre…” he began before being interrupted.

“Okay, okay Old Man, you win,” said Jason, defeated.

“What is exactly what Master Wayne won, Master Jason?” Alfred asked as he walked into the room with the tray of food on his left hand.

“Nothing Alf is a way of speaking” responded the young ward, annoyed.

“If you say so, young Sir,” said Alfred in response with a stoic expression, even though everyone knew he was making fun of Jason.

They sat in silence as Alfred serve dinner in his calm demur. Alfred loved to spoil the kids, although he would never admit it out loud, so every day he tried to prepare something that would make the smile. That day it was Dick’s favourite dish: Mac and Cheese with chocolate milk.

Bruce turned to look at Alfred with an arched eyebrow but Alfred ignored him as he continued to serve dinner.

“MAC AND CHEESE! MY FAVOURITE, THANKS, AL” Dick yelled as soon as he saw what Alfred had prepared for the evening. As if the food were to vanish he began to devour her with eagerness.

“Thank you, Alfred,” Tim said calmly when Alfred had put the dish in front of him.

“Thanks, Alf!” Jason said, trying to look cool and failing as he was happy.

Bruce looked at his sons and the confusion on his face disappeared, he knew Alfred did it as a way to make them happy since… Well, it didn’t matter, because his kids were all that matter to him.

“Please join us Alfred, and I won’t accept a no as an answer,” Bruce said as Alfred was about to leave the room.

“Master Bruce, you…” Alfred started saying, with a tone that meant he was not happily breaking what he thought were ground rules.

“Please Al” Dick interrupted, with his mouth covered in cheese.

“Yes, Alf, pretty please,” Jason asked turning to look at the man he considers his grandfather.

“We would like to have dinner with you, Alfred,” said Tim shyly, not looking up from his plate.

“Masters, I…” Alfred began to say when a plead interrupted him.

“Pleeeeease?” asked the three boys in unison looking at Alfred with their puppy eyes, something Alfred couldn’t fight back.

“Very well sirs, as you wish,” he said fondly, and for a second, Bruce could swear Alfred smiled.

The children cheered as Alfred took place next to Dick and in front of Tim.

“Alf, this is the best day ever,” Dick said, excited, as he continued to eat “First we meet Clark Kent, the famous writer, you remember him? The man who wrote the play Dad loved so much”.

Alfred turned to look at Bruce, who was on the head of the table.

“Indeed, sir, I remember how fond Master Bruce was of that play”.

Bruce could feel the blush creeping up his cheeks. 

“Well, we met him and guess what Alf?” asked Dick, ignoring his father’s blush “He tried to tame Titus, the mighty bear, but failed and then we played catch”.

“No Dick, you’re telling it wrong!” interrupted Jason with a frown, “Clark decided to show us how he could tame Titus, the mighty bear and then when he SUCCEDED, we play catch”.

“You’re both wrong,” said Tim, patiently “He tried to tamed Titus, got distracted and then we played catch and he and Dad surrender cause they’re old”.

Bruce looked at his son with fake betrayal in his eyes. Tim just shrugged and continued eating.

“It’s the true dad, but we love you,” said Dick with a smirk in his eyes.

“And we saw you with Clark” Jason added with a glint in his eyes “he doesn’t mind you’re old”.

“Like, at all” finished Dick with the same glint Jason had “and neither do you”

“Neither does he what, Master Dick?” asked Alfred.

“Dad doesn’t mind Clark’s old either” Jason responded, smirking.

“Is that true Master Bruce?” asked Alfred, raising an eyebrow.

Bruce wanted the Earth to open and swallow him whole.

“He was good with you, sons, that’s all I care,” he said, flatly as he kept eating his Mac and Cheese.

No one said anything for the rest of the meal, but Alfred knew Mister Clark had caused an impression on his ward like no one had ever done before. Even if Bruce himself didn’t know it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't feel the dialogue between everybody was organic, but it had been too long since I posted and I was feeling guilty.  
> sorry, really.


	9. Another Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, thank you for all the kind and sweet comments you all have left me, they mean a lot to me and made me not want to give up on this thing, as well as thank you for not giving up on this story even though I haven't updated it in a while.  
> I'm really sorry I haven't written anything for a long time and that I've been neglecting this story, but between my writer's block and many personal things that have been going on in my life, I didn't find it in me to write.  
> Hopefully, I'm back for good and I will finish this story this year.   
> Again, thank you all, really.

The next day Clark woke up feeling fresh and renewed like he could take on the world with his bare hands. Happily, he rolled to the other side of the bed only to find it cold, meaning Lois had woken up a long time ago.

Sighing, he stretched out and got out of bed, meaning to find her and see where she was.

“Lois?” he asked at the top of the stairs with no response whatsoever. The house was silent, except for a small whistle. Faintly and after paying all of his attention towards the sounds surrounding him, Clark could perfectly hear Lois in the kitchen, probably making breakfast and a disaster or two as well. Lois Lane was many things but good in the kitchen wasn’t one of them.

Smiling to himself, he walked down the stairs towards her.

Lois was in the middle of the kitchen, with her hair strained in a messy bun with a pen on her left ear and her pyjamas hanging loosely from her body. In her right hand, there was a steamy mug full of coffee while in her left hand was the newspaper of the day. She was wearing her reading glasses and was biting her lip, meaning she was doing the crossword.

Silently, he approached her from behind and once he was close enough, he passed his arm around her belly and pulled her closer to his chest.

“Morning” he whispered lovingly in her ear before pressing a soft kiss in her temple, to which she snapped out of concentration and smiled with fondness while sipping her mug. 

“Morning to you too,” she said carefree and sweetly “I’m glad to see you in such good mood”

“I’m glad I’m in a good mood,” he said teasingly before letting her go and grab a cup of coffee. 

For a moment neither said anything, just enjoying the joyfulness and calm of a lazy Sunday morning. As if they were a machine well oiled, soon enough they both started doing their part in order to prepare breakfast, meaning Lois was supposed to stay behind the counter and Clark was going to be in charge.

While Clark was breaking the eggs, Lois sat down next to him while sipping her second cup of coffee and looked at him with attention and narrowed eyes.

“To what do I owe this change?” she said quizzically.

“What change?” Clark asked, faking innocence and pretending not to know what she was talking about while starting to mix the eggs with the rest of the ingredients.

“Clark…” however, she was having none of his bullshit.

Sighing, he stopped mixing the eggs and turned to look at her directly in the eyes.

“I had a great day yesterday, I was able to write and that’s why I got home late Lo,” he said, grabbing her face with his hands and kissing her softly on the lips “I’m sorry for leaving you alone”.

“Don’t be sorry,” Lois said once he had let her go “I’m happy you found the inspiration you were looking for” she added, kind of jokingly kind of worried “I can’t wait to meet your new muse”

Clark didn’t answer but instead focus on preparing the eggs by the fire. Lois was joking, but deep inside she sometimes felt like there was something missing in their relationship, something that lacked a name but would eventually tear them apart.

“Breakfast is ready,” said her fiancé, pulling her out of her self-absorption with a kiss on the cheek “I made your favourite, eggs with bacon and cheese”

Lois turned to look at Clark, with a smile on her face and a warm feeling in her heart, erasing every uneasiness she had felt over the last couple of days. They were Clark and Lois, and nothing could tear them apart.

“Muses” Clark corrected her after they had finished breakfast with a playful smile on his face

“Muses?” she asked, having forgotten what they were talking about

“Yes, the inspiration I found yesterday at the park, four amazing boys…”

He interrupted himself, suddenly remembering the promise he had made towards the eldest son and not wanting to break their hearts.

Lois, not noticing his realization, continued the conversation as if nothing had happened.

“Kids?” she asked with a smile “I’m sure their parents were there as well, right?”

Clark was frozen… was he still on time to meet them at the Park? And how could he leave Lois after the wonderful morning they were having?

But Bruce… The memory of the way his eyes lit when a wide smile crossed his face or the way little wrinkles in his eyes appeared the moment he started laughing like never before. And his kids, Dick, Jason, Tim and Damian, how happy they were playing catch and make-believe… A pang in his heart and a twist at his stomach made him feel like he should be with them at the Park, being happy and carefree. 

“Well, I’m sure they were and that they had a great time with you as well, Smallville” she added dreamingly while she started cleaning the breakfast table “You’re a natural with kids”.

The phone rang, startling the silence and making Clark’s heart more eager than ever, wondering if by any casualty Bruce was looking for him, wondering why he hadn’t been at the Park earlier and if he could meet them later in the afternoon.

Lost in his thoughts, he didn’t even notice when Lois went and answered the phone to later return with a heavy sigh on her face.

“I’m sorry Clark,” she said with sorrow “but Cat is having this crisis because of writer’s block and she’s asking me to go and help her”.

Clark was pulled out of his musings, as Lois’ concern echo right to his soul. Cat Grant was one of Lois’ friends and colleague at the Planet, writing romance novels on long lost times and faraway lands. They were not best friends per se, but Lois wasn’t the kind of person to turn to the other side when a person she knew was in need.

“It’s okay Lo,” he said reassuringly, pulling her into an embrace and keeping her close to his heart “Cat needs you, and I’ll be here waiting for you, ready to enjoy our Sunday once you’re back”.

“I love you so much Clark,” she said, kissing him with all the passion and love she felt for him, putting into actions what words weren’t enough to convey.

Before he could answer, Lois went back on the phone as she climbed the stairs, calming Cat down and assuring her she was going to be in her house as soon as possible.

With a heavy heart, Clark watched her go, feeling guilty at being relieved of being able to go and meet Bruce and the kids at the Park and at being hopeful of them waiting for him.

After a sigh, Clark climbed the stairs following Lois, preparing himself for an afternoon at the Park, hopefully with Bruce around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked what I did in this chapter. I wanted to give more insight into the dynamic between Clark and Lois as well as a look at how their relationship is.


	10. Where Are You?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it took so long, but I'm already working on Chapter 11 and 12, so hopefully, that one won't take me as long as this.  
> Also, thank you to The_Oluren_Jera for beta reading this!

As Clark walked towards the park, images of the day before started filling his head, making his heart flutter and a blush rush to his cheeks, especially after remembering the way Bruce looked whenever he laughed and saw his children being happy and carefree.

A feeling he could not quite name started spreading from his chest to his stomach at the prospect of seeing the Wayne family again. It was like a mixture between joy, eagerness and hope that he had never felt before. Suddenly, and with a pang in his heart, he remembered Lois and felt guilty all over again.

So deep inside his mind, he didn’t realise he had arrived at the park, right in the middle of the field, surrounded by laughter, dogs barking and parents yelling. However, there were no signs of the Wayne boys and a pull in his heart told him he was too late, that he had missed them and probably ruined his relationship with them.

A tingling sensation in his chest made him sat down at the nearest bench, as he felt like he couldn’t breathe and everything was nosier and brighter than before, clouding his judgment and freezing all his senses. His breath quickened as his heart started hammering in his chest at such fast speed he thought it was going to stop at any time out of sheer exhaustion.

“Mr Clark, you made it!” yelled a voice among the noise.

Clark looked frantically from side to side, trying to find the origin of that voice, praying he had not imagined it when suddenly a big black dog came running towards him and almost tackled him like before.

“Titus!” Clark said with both relief and amusement. They were here.

“Mr Clark!” said the two older kids while Damian approached him with his usual scowl and pull his dog away from the man.

“Mr Kent” the child without looking at him.

“Hey Damian,” Clark said with fondness in his voice “and kids, I’m so happy to see you! I thought I had missed you”.

“Nope,” Jason responded as he sat down next to Clark “we just arrived here”.

“We actually thought we were the ones who had missed you, as we didn’t tell you at what time we usually come to the park” Dick added as he sat down next to his brother.

“Well, I’m glad we didn’t miss each other,” he said with amusement and joy in his voice. Quickly, he realised there was one very important person missing “and where is Tim? Is he with your father?”

“No” Jason answered as he started playing with his ball and Titus, much to Damian’s annoyance “He got sick and stayed home with Alfred”.

Clark’s heart stopped at this sentence… who was that mysterious Alfred?

“Alfred?” he asked, as casually as he could while trying to hide the tightness in his throat.

“Yeah, he is…” Dick started saying when Damian interrupted him, looking anxious and scared.

“Where is Father?”

“Um… he was behind us… right?” asked Jason with concern in his voice as he looked around waiting to see Bruce walking towards them.

“Yeah, he was with us when we entered the Park” added Dick with reassurance in his voice as his eyes started searching along the field.

The children started turning around trying to find their father, with minutes stretching and seeming to last forever.

“Father!” Damian yelled with his eyes closed as he held Titus close to him “Father!”.

“Old Man!” Jason screamed at the top of his lungs “This is not funny!”.

“Dad!” Dick raised his voice above his brother’s as he looked for Bruce “Dad!”.

“Bruce!” Clark joined the others, with concern filling his voice “Where are you, Bruce?” he whispered as he saw the lost expression on the kid’s faces.

Tears started streaming down Damian’s face, as Jason’s was contorted in a weird expression between anger and sadness while Dick was trying to stay strong for their brothers. Clark’s chest was tight with worry, not knowing what to do.

“Father” Damian whispered with a broken voice when suddenly a much graver voice interrupted the silence, becoming louder as it got closer to them.

“Boys! Boys! Boys” the voice yelled with concern and panic all over it.

“Dad!” responded the three kids in unison as they ran towards their father with such relief Clark felt it in his bones.

“Don’t run away like that, please?” Bruce said out of breath as he hugged his sons close to him “Never ran away from where I can see you”.

“Sorry, Dad,” Jason said as he held strongly to his dad, rubbing his cheek on Bruce’s arm.

“Is just that we were really excited when we saw Mr Clark sitting on the bench” Dick added with a muffled voice as his head was hidden in the crook of his father’s neck.

At that, Bruce let an amused chuckle and held his sons a little closer to him. 

“It’s alright, just don’t run away like that again, okay?” he said after he let go of his children and looked at them with worry and love “I don’t want anything to happen to either of you”

“Okay, Dad,” said the three boys in unison as they let go of their dad as well… Everyone except Damian, who was clung so tightly to his father’s chest he could probably rip his shirt off if someone tried to take him away.

“Damian, everything is alright,” Bruce said in a shushing voice as he got a hold of his youngest son and embraced him in his arms.

As a response, Damian just shook his head from side to side, still not wanting to let go. His cheeks were still a little wet from the tears before, and Bruce’s heart broke at the sight of his son crying.

Bruce let a sigh full of sorrow as he held his kid closer to him. His brothers approached them and together, they hugged the other two as if by that simple action they could pull together the broken pieces that they were. The four of them had a look of sorrow and pain, and for the first time, Clark understood why Bruce was so happy the other day.

If the kids were as miserable as they looked at that moment, he wished with every fibre of his being that they would never feel that way, as it was breaking his heart with a pain like he’d never felt before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a little angsty, as I tried to capture the abandonment issues the kids had due to Talia's departure from the family. Hope it translated like that to you.


	11. We Meet Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is actually Chapter 12, as I deleted a chapter (Chapter 3) and merged it with other (Chapter 4 that now is Chapter 3) as I wanted the story to have more rhythm and fluidity.  
> Sorry if it sounds confusing.  
> Thanks The_Oluren_Jera for being my beta

“Sorry about that,” Bruce said once the kids had started playing with the ball they brought.

“There’s nothing to be sorry about!” Clark exclaimed as he tried to reassure the man next to him that everything was alright “I’m sorry about your kids, it breaks my heart to see them like that.”

“That makes two of us” Bruce muttered as he sat down at the Park bench.

“It’s about your ex, right?” he asked casually as he looked at the expression of the other man “I know you don’t want to talk about them but…” he inhaled, he needed to say this and courage is something he lacked most of the time “They are horrible people for leaving those amazing, kind, loving kids and I…”

“I appreciate the sentiment, but that was a long time ago and I just want my boys to be happy,” Bruce interrupted him once Clark started to get more passionate.

“Sorry,” Clark mumbled, embarrassed by his outburst.

“It’s okay,” Bruce said, smiling sadly while looking at his sons “Thank you for caring about them”.

“It’s impossible not to” he answered with a warming smile, wanting to erase the sadness from the other man’s voice and face.

At that, Bruce said nothing, just kept his face towards the children, lost in his own thoughts and memories. At that moment, Clark hated with all his heart Bruce’s ex, as they have walked away from their children and probably the best husband one could ever find on this Earth. With just one look, Clark could tell Bruce was a man driven by passion and force, not stopping for a second once he made his mind on something.

The unnamed feeling he had in his heart since the first moment of meeting this man made its presence known as a warm sensation that spread from his chest to his cheeks, making him feel all warm and fuzzy inside like he was drunk but not intoxicated.

“How’s your fiancée?” Bruce asked nonchalantly as he continued to look at his sons.

“Ah, eh, ah,” was all Clark could say as blood left his face “She… she’s well”.

“Is she okay with you being here?” Bruce still wasn’t looking at him, but Clark could see the tension in his shoulders and hands like he was holding something back.

“She… she is,” Clark lied, surprising himself at how easily he lied and did not care about it, “She says hello by the way”.

“Likewise,” Bruce murmured as he stood up and stretched his arms.

Clark could feel Bruce next to him, but at the same time it was like he was far away from him and no matter how hard he tried, there was no way he could reach him, just slipping through his fingers like the water from the river in front of the Farm.

“Hey,” he said as he stood up next to the single father “is everything alright?”

Bruce sighed and tried to walk away, but Clark stopped him by putting a hand on his arm. Bruce looked at his arm and looked back up at Clark, raising an eyebrow in a questioning manner.

Clark could feel his anxiety rise at that single look, but with a great effort he quiet down those voices and focused on Bruce and how close to one another.

“I know we just met and I know you have no reason to trust me,” he said as he pulled Bruce even closer to him, so the kids wouldn’t hear what he was about to say. It wasn’t anything bad or improper, but something Clark wanted to stay between him and Bruce, nothing more “but I’m here if you need to talk”.

Clark could feel Bruce tensing up once more, so he continued, this time talking faster and quieter “I saw your face when the children were scared, and I can only imagine what you feel. I know you don’t have their mother to help you out, to have someone to rely on, but…” he inhaled deeply before continuing, he needed courage “I’m here for you.”

Bruce turned to look at him with a puzzled expression, and at that moment, with the sun shining in his eyes, Clark realised just how blue Bruce’s eyes were. They looked like the most invaluable sapphires Clark had ever encountered, promising more wealth and happiness than any real stone.

… 

For a moment, however brief it was, Bruce swore he had lost everything when he did not see his sons right next to him. He was distracted, talking with Lucius Fox, whom he ran into at the Park, talking about Wayne’s Corporation latest development and catching up on each other’s life.

Before Talia walked away, Bruce used to be more involved with the business, acting as the best CEO the corporation has ever had, but always being present in his family life. However, after she left, Bruce decided to focus full time on his sons, leaving the company aside and letting Fox handle everything, just consulting him from time to time when there was an absolute need of his knowledge and/or advice.

Lucius was a great friend of Bruce, understanding Wayne’s decision and being there for his friend whenever the man needed a friend, but he could see in his demeanour and attitude that his friend was lonely and sad. And it broke his heart as he knew how much Bruce had loved Talia.

He was actually in the middle of trying to set him up with a woman he just met that was trying to do business with Wayne Co. when Bruce noticed his sons where nowhere to be found and panic started raising in his throat, clouding his judgment and putting an intense weight on his stomach, like he had just swelled a thousand rocks and he couldn’t throw up. 

He didn’t even say goodbye to Lucius as he started running around the park, yelling each of the names of his kids and trying in vain to hold his panic from bursting and causing a scene. He would never forgive himself if something were to happen to his children. They were his entire world.

Minutes started to pass but he wasn’t about to give up when he heard the boys calling for him, with the same panic and anxiousness he was feeling at the moment. When he saw them, the only thing he could do was run towards them and hold them close to his heart, as if by hugging them they would never leave his side.

It wasn’t until later when he had let go, that he noticed the man at their side. Clark was there, looking even more beautiful than the day before, with dishevelled black hair and crooked lenses, wearing nothing but good old jeans and a plaid shirt.

Bruce’s heart twisted at the sight of the man, but he chastised himself for that reaction, as he knew Clark was a taken man and there could never be something between them, as it looked like the writer was a man of honour and commitment. Besides, people talk enough shit about him to add to it by being known as a “home-wrecker” or worse. No, his kids deserved a better father and that’s what he was going to be for them. 

His heart had never been a priority for that matter.

Pulling his feelings aside, while trying to ignore the beating of his heart, Bruce started to talk with Clark monotonously, as if he wasn’t even there. Because truth be told, Bruce didn’t want to see Clark again, no. He had spent enough time at night thinking about the writer, so when Dick remembered him that they had made plans about meeting Kent at the Park, he was secretly hoping he wouldn’t show up as that would make a perfectly good reason for him to hate him.

However, Kent was nothing but good towards his children, and against Bruce’s better judgment he could feel a warm sensation spreading all over him as he heard Clark worrying about his kids, hating Talia for leaving them even though he didn’t know her and overall being the most caring soul he had met.

But then again, he had a fiancée and Bruce would never dare to interfere with such commitment, no matter what people said about him.

He stood up from the Park bench, trying to put some distance between the man and himself. However, Clark was having none of it, as he stood up next to him and asked if he was alright.

 _No_ , he wanted to say _, nothing is alright, and I don’t know what to do_ , but instead, he just sighed as he started to walk away. There was no point in telling the man such things, he didn’t care. Why would he? They’ve just met.

Suddenly, Clark grabbed his arm, and a torrent of electricity ran through his body, paralyzing him and numbing his senses. The only thing he could do was to turn and look at the man while raising an eyebrow to question his intentions, but in reality, all he wanted to do was to run away from the man and never look back as the feelings the writer awakened in him were nothing but cause for trouble.

Clark pulled him closer, and he could almost feel the breath of the other man in his face, sending chills down his spine. It took Bruce all his concentration and energy not to close his eyes and shiver at that, making him feel rather proud of himself.

“I’m here for you,” the writer murmured almost at his ear, making Bruce turn and look at him with a puzzled expression. No one had ever said that to him, not even Talia or Alfred. They were so close to one another that Bruce noticed Clark’s eyes weren’t entirely blue, no. His left eye had a speck of brown at the top, making them more enigmatic and magnetic than any pair of eyes Bruce had ever seen.

Neither one of them said anything as they stood there without moving, just looking at each other and feeling the electricity around them. It was both exhilarating and terrifying, as none of them had ever felt something so powerful in their life before. It was like a force pulling them together, binding them to that moment and time.

Sadly, the moment was broken the minute a ball was thrown in their direction, hitting Bruce at his side and making him break eye contact with the writer.

Wayne sent the ball towards his sons, but instead of re-joining Clark at his side, he stood some distance apart, looking at the kids playing some sort of Dodgeball, as even Titus was playing, and Clark was sure dodgeball didn’t include pets.

“Thank you for coming,” Bruce said after a moment of silence “I know we didn’t set up a time to meet and everything”.

“I was actually thinking you guys thought I had stood you up,” Kent said in a murmur as if he was embarrassed over his own thoughts.

At that, Bruce raised an eyebrow, torn between wanting to melt or punch him in the face. Finally, he settled for none but instead asked him what he meant by that.

“Oh,” Clark said as if he didn’t understand why there was even a question “well, I didn’t want you… or your kids” he added quickly “to think I have forgotten my promise and didn’t want to spend time with you all." 

At that, Bruce felt his heart racing and his cheeks getting redder, as the warm sensation reached his face and his heart. He closed his eyes and inhaled, trying to calm his traitor body from reacting to whatever Kent did or said. The only person who cared about his kids as much as Clark seemed to care was Alfred, but Alfred was family, practically his surrogate father, while Clark was just a man he met at a Park.

 _"Everyone leaves,"_  Bruce thought bitterly as he stretched once more and started to walk towards the children, " _sooner or later he’ll leave and there’s nothing I can do to stop him."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably the longest chapter I've ever posted in this story, but I hope you liked it.  
> I tried to capture a little more of Bruce's personality, as I don't think it was well defined in the other chapters.  
> Thanks for reading!


	12. We Could Be Heroes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clark, Bruce and the kids pretend to be superheroes.  
> Everyone has fun, including Damian. Clark spends more time with the kids, and he and Damian share a special bonding time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, I was just a little blocked about the direction I wanted to take with this story.  
> And also sorry for the multiple POV, I'm working on showing the characters' personalities without needing to change the POV, I really am.  
> And I stand corrected, *this* is the longest chapter I've ever posted.  
> Once again, thanks The_Oluren_Jera for being an amazing beta

 

Clark stood there, not knowing what to do, as Bruce started to walk towards his kids. Had he said something that had pissed off the man? Had he messed up everything? Did Bruce hate him and will force him to stay away from his family?

The sensation he always had when he thought he had messed up started to make its presence known, starting in his arms and spreading to the rest of his body, transforming itself into an itch he couldn’t scratch. However, the thought of Bruce walking away from him was unnerving, outstanding the itchy feeling and making him run towards the man. Maybe he had screwed up, but he wasn’t going to give up just yet.

“Bruce, wait!” Clark exclaimed as his legs started running towards the single father “let’s go play with the kids, shall we?” he asked, not waiting for the man’s answer as he just kept running, this time towards the children.

“Mr Clark!” the two older brothers exclaimed once Kent appeared in their field of vision. Damian just stood in the middle of the field, uncomfortable and not knowing what to do.

He was feeling awkward around the writer, thanks to that moment of weakness he had just experienced, but the thought of his Father leaving him… _No, Father said he never would_ , he thought to himself as the writer approached them with his big, goofy smile, _and if there’s one thing I know is Father always keeps his promises_.

Right behind the writer was his Father, at the sight of him made his heart run faster and his worries to fade away. When Bruce’s eyes meet his, Damian ran towards his Dad, ignoring his brothers and jumping right into the man’s arms. 

He had already embarrassed himself, so there was no reason as to hide his wish to be by Bruce’s side and feel comfort in his embrace.

“I love you, Damian” Bruce murmured as Damian settled in his arms and hid his face in the crook of his Father’s neck.

“I love you too, Father” Damian murmured as he hugged Bruce a little tighter.

For his young age, Damian was a really small child, which caused his brothers and Father to be a little bit overprotective towards the kid. Not that Jason was ever going to admit that, mind you. However, as he was “Talia’s favourite” she had thought him a thing or two about self-defence behind Bruce’s back, as she knew Bruce would never approve the use of violence in his house. He had seen enough violence in his life to know he wanted his children as far away from it as possible.

Damian never told his Father about such lessons, but if it was in order to feel protected by Bruce well… that’s something he would never admit aloud, not ever in a million years.

“Do you want to go with your brothers and play with Mr Clark?” Bruce asked after a while, sensing his kid needed a little distraction from the earlier scare.

Damian made a pouting face, as he wanted to be with his Father and his Father only, not some writer who had a fiancée and had put sad his Dad at night. _Father isn’t as discreet as he thinks he is_ , Damian thought as he saw his Dad looking longingly at the writer as he played with his brothers. 

“It could be good for you” Bruce added at the sight of his kid’s humour.

At first, Damian said nothing, but his pouting face was becoming more evident as minutes passed, being noticed by Clark and the other kids. Dick and Jason exchanged a worrisome look, as they both knew how difficult Damian could be when one of his moods.

“Why? None of it is real” Damian responded, a little annoyed at the thought of his Father not wanting to be with him “I want to stay with you”.

At that, Bruce sighed. He was happy Damian was opening up a little more with him, but at the same time, it worried him Damian’s clinginess, as it could turn out harmful to the kid in the future.

Bruce and Damian hadn’t been that close before, as Damian was closer to his mother. In fact, it was the only kid in the Wayne house who actually got along with Talia; not even Alfred was in friendly terms with the deadly woman. Dick, Jason and Tim loved her mother, but there was something that stopped them from being actually close to her, like an invisible barrier she had put there to keep the boys away.

“We can be on the same team,” Bruce said with a conspiracy tone as if only Damian and he were part of the secret.

“You mean… if I play, you play with me and only me?” Damian asked in a hopeful tone.

Bruce sighed before answering “Well, not exactly, but I would be on your team and plan to destroy your brothers”.

At that, Damian smiled, and while happy Bruce was still somewhat concerned about his child’s violent tendencies. 

“Bruce!” Clark exclaimed as he approached both Father and son with his other kids at his side, “want to join us?”

“We are going to be superheroes, Dad!” Dick exclaimed, overly excited and dragging his younger brother with him. “I’m going to be Nightwing!” he added, as he puffed out his chest.

“And I’m going to be Flamebird!” Jason exclaimed, letting go of his brother’s hand and making a pose of showing off his non-existent muscles.

Bruce smiled at the sight his kids, with love filling his heart at the thought of them being happy and carefree. 

“Nightwing? Flamebird?” he asked, “what do they mean?”

“It’s an old legend my parents used to tell me when I was little,” Clark interrupted, making Bruce jump slightly. That man unnerved him in ways he shouldn’t. “I told them the story and they were impressed”.

Bruce just lifted an eyebrow, clearly interested in hearing the story but letting the man off the hook if he didn’t want to share it once again.

Clark’s blush became more evident, but he sat down at the bench ignoring Bruce’s gaze and focusing on the two kids who were looking at him expectantly as if they wanted to hear **again** the story of Nightwing  & Flamebird.

“What does the legend say?” Damian asked, letting go of his Father’s hand while trying to appear uninterested as he walked towards him.

Clark turned to look at the boy, surprised to see curiosity and interest colouring his voice. Excited at the thought of the child hating him less than before, the writer decided to tell once more the story he heard once upon a time.

“Well, there was a time, in the old city of Kandor where crime and cruelty were the order of the day” Clark explained, giving his voice a deep edge, perfect for a narrator of a classic tale “In sight of injustice and pain, two men decided they had had enough and they would do everything in their power to protect the citizens of Kandor.”

“Why they wanted to do that?” Damian asked as he sat down on the grass, looking up at him.

“Because, sometimes, there’s that call that if you don’t do the right thing, no one will,” Bruce added as he sat down next to him and pulled Damian closer to him.

“Exactly!” Clark exclaimed, as again the feeling that Bruce understood him better than anyone made its presence known inside his heart “But they also had special abilities to be able to protect the city.”

“Such as?” Damian was no longer trying to hide his interest.

“Well, Nightwing was more known for his abilities as a detective as well as his intelligence. There was no one as clever and ingenious as him in the whole wide kingdom of Kandor” he said, vaguely remembering the story, “while Flamebird, on his part, was known for his powers of fire and strength of a thousand men”.

“Wow,” the three kids said in unison, imaging both heroes in their bright costumes.

“Together” Clark continued “they fought side by side to protect the innocent and bring to justice to everyone who deserved it”

“But you said it was a time of corruption” Jason interrupted “how did they know they could trust the police or the government?”

“Well, there were honest people among the bad guys, just very few and spread in the whole city,” he said, after a moment of thought “you just have to look deeper to see the good in people.”

Jason nodded, taking that explanation as enough, and started discussing with his brother what the costumes would look like.

“But wait! Who will you be, Dad?” Dick asked as he turned to look at his Father with a questioning look.

“And don’t say the Gray Ghost” Jason said, with a smirk on his face.

“Why not?” Bruce asked, concerned about whatever was going on inside his son’s head.

“Because you have to create a new superhero, Dad” interrupted Dick, looking slightly annoyed at his brother “that’s the whole idea”.

“Are you a fan of the Gray Ghost?” Clark asked, surprised to have found another fan of his favourite childhood superhero.

“Yes,” Bruce answered, slightly embarrassed and with a blush appearing on his cheeks “My dad used to see it with me back when I was a kid”.

“My dad did the same thing!” Clark exclaimed, excited and confused at the warm sensation in his heart appearing again.

The look on Bruce’s face was both of surprise and something Clark couldn’t quite identify. But it was enough to pull him into those alluring blue eyes. On his part, Bruce felt the same magnetism he had always felt at the sight of those brilliant blue eyes, ever since that night at the theatre.

“And he did the same thing with us,” Jason shared, interrupting the moment between Bruce and Clark. Both adults looked away, slightly embarrassed and blushing like teenagers.

“It’s a good show,” Damian interjected, defending his Father’s favourite show at Jason’s mockery.

“I’m not saying it wasn’t I was just…” Jason started, looking at his brother with anger. He hated when people assumed things of him that weren’t true, and Damian had a knack for doing just that.

“Then why did you” the younger Wayne interrupted him, annoyed at his brother’s humour.

“Listen, you little brat, you’ll…” Jason interrupted him once he recovered from the anger of being interrupted.

“Enough, both of you” Bruce intervened, knowing that if he didn’t stop it right there, the fight could easily turn into a physical one.

For a moment no one said anything, but Bruce clearly saw the moment his second son thought he was going to side with Damian. Jason tended to think Bruce loved him less than the rest of his kids, and Bruce had just noticed that and was trying to change it as he loved him as much as he loved everyone else. Jason just needed to be reminded a little more.

Clark coughed, making Bruce turned to look at him as he was torn on what to do, not wanting to ruin a perfect moment they were just having. Clark, with a single look, told him he was going to approach Damian and distract him while he talked with Jason.

Bruce felt a pang in his heart at the realisation that Clark had understood his dilemma and was trying very hard to help him… _Why does he have to have a girlfriend?_ He thought bitterly as he nodded and turned to talk with his son.

“Who are you going to be, Damian?” Clark asked as he kneeled in front of the kid.

“It’s a stupid game” Damian responded as he started playing with the grass at his side.

“Maybe” Clark conceded, as he knew that arguing with the boy would get him nowhere. _You catch more flies with honey_. “But maybe it’s a game where you’ll end up having fun.”

The kid sighed, so Clark decided to change his approach.

“You could be… Robin!” he announced, excited and happy at his idea.

“Robin?” Damian asked, mildly intrigued by the name.

“For Robin Hood! The thief that stole from the rich to give to the poor…” he could see as he was talking that the boy was starting to get invested in their little make believe, so he continued, excited to finally being able to breach through the kid’s barriers “But instead of you know, and arc and a bow you could have…”

“A Katana!” the kid exclaimed, with a dangerous look in his eye.

At that, Clark gulped, a little worried and wondering if Bruce had ever allowed him to play with a sword.

…

“Jason…” Bruce said, as he approached the boy and kneeled in front of him, holding his chin with his fingers and making the kid look at him in the eye.

“What are you doing here?” Jason asked, a little bitter, “shouldn’t you be with wonder boy over there?” he said as he let himself go from his father’s grip.

“No, I’m here with you and only you,” he said as he pulled his son into a tight embrace.

“But why?” came Jason’s muffle question as he found himself buried in his father’s chest.

“Because you’re my son and I love you” Bruce responded, holding him a little bit tighter. But Jason didn’t mind, as he hugged his dad in return.

“Even when I’m rude and annoying?” he asked with a small voice as he hid further into his dad’s embrace.

“You’re never annoying Jason, never” Wayne corrected the kid “but yes, I love you even when you’re rude”.

“I love you too, Dad,” the boy said as he let go of his father and gave him a smile.

Sometimes his kids were infuriating, but most of the time, Bruce remembered just how big his love for them was and how right the decision of having them had been, even if it had been with Talia.

Hand in hand, father and son walked towards the rest of the group. Dick had started playing with Titus as the adults were talking to his younger brothers. He didn’t mind, he knew his father needed to work on his relationship with Jason as well as he knew that Damian needed to open up a little more with Mr Clark.

Mr Clark seemed like a nice guy, but what Dick liked most about him, apart from his stories and his imagination, was the way he made his Dad laugh and smile. Not even his mother had been capable of doing that.

“So… who are you going to be Mr Clark?” Jason asked as he approached his brothers and sat down next to Dick.

“eh… uh… am…. Superman?” he said/asked, unsure of what to say. 

Bruce and the kids just lifted an eyebrow, and Clark noticed for the first time how much the boy resembled their father.

“Superman…” Bruce said, thinking. It wasn’t very imaginative, but heh, who was he to judge.

“And you Bruce?” Clark asked, a little embarrassed at his lack of originality and wanting to take the spotlight away from him “What’s your hero name?”

“I’m no hero,” Bruce said, looking at Clark with a smirk on his face “I am vengeance...I am the night...I AM BATMAN!” he added in a deep, baritone voice, while he covered his face with his coat before looking at his kids with a glare.

“Up, Up and away!” Clark exclaimed at the same time as Bruce, putting his hands on his hips and a blinding smile on his face.

The three kids started laughing at the image in front of them, before Bruce jumped right in, scaring them.

“Flamebird, defend Kandor!” Dick exclaimed as he and his brother launched towards their father, carefree and happy like they hadn’t in a long time.

“Superman!” Bruce yelped as the kids were mounting on top of him, asking for his surrender. 

"Robin, let's go help Batman," Clark said at Damian who was still at his side. The boy just smiled and nodded, adapting a fight position before running towards his father.

As they went to his rescue, Clark felt like flying, with Bruce at his side and the children running around laughing and imagining they were saving the world. In a way, he thought in his heart they were doing just that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I played a little with the Nightwing & Flamebird story, as I do not know the real story.  
> But... I hope you enjoyed the chapter nonetheless!  
> Also... does it show that I have no idea what I'm doing?


	13. Just for One Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kids invite Clark for dinner at The Manor as a thank you for everything he's done. Bruce panics and Clark decides to invite them over to his house instead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for any mistakes

Clark didn’t know how many hours had passed since the game began, but he knew it had been a while when Bruce announced it was time to go home. Much to his embarrassment, he quickly realised he was not part of that “let’s go home” when Bruce couldn’t even look at him.

“But Dad!” Dick complained as he and Jason were about to “defeat” them in an epic battle.

“No “but”, Tim is sick, and I need to go check on him” Bruce answered as he gathered Damian in his arms.

“Fine,” Dick mumbled as he grabbed his brother’s hand and pulled him from the floor.

“Say goodbye to Mr Clark,” Bruce said as he started walking towards Titus, who was resting in the field with not a care in the world.

“Actually… I could walk you home if you’d like,” Clark said hurriedly as he wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye.

“Yes!” Dick and Jason yelped with excitement.

“Well, is your…” Bruce began saying, before being interrupted by his younger son.

“I’d like the writer to walk with us, Father,” Damian said in a small, sleepy voice, as being in his Father’s arms made him realise how tired he really was.

And really, Bruce will to be away from Clark wasn’t that strong to begin with so, matter to say, he agreed for the writer to accompany them on their way to the Manor.

“Very well, Clark,” Bruce said in his most formal, neutral voice “this way.”

“Yei!!” the three kids exclaimed, even Damian, only that his _yei_ was more on the quiet side.

“C’mon Titus!” Jason said while Titus began running around when he noticed the family was moving.

Slowly, they began walking through the Park in a direction Clark had never seen. It was brighter and fuller of trees than the entrance of the Park, making the light seem a combination of red and orange with sprinkles of gold here and there. The birds were chipping in harmony, making a slow, melodic tune that got more than one kid humming alongside them. Dick and Jason were ahead of them, playing with Titus and the ball they brought.

“So…” Clark began, wanting to break the ice that seemed to be between him and Bruce “you’re a fan of the Gray Ghost.”

“Yes,” Bruce said curtly as they walked through the Park. He didn’t want Clark to walk with them, as the presence of the writer unsettled him, but the sight of his sons’ happiness by wanting to spend more time with the writer made his will to give up and making Bruce agree for Clark to join them.

“What’s your favourite episode?” Clark didn’t know what had made Bruce acted so strangely towards him, but he would do anything to right any mistake he had made.

“I don’t remember” Bruce answered, as if wanting to end the conversation, which he did, but seeing Clark’s sad face made his heart twist in pain and wanting to erase it as soon as possible “there are a lot of great ones.”

“That’s true!” Clark responded, excitedly “remember that episode where buildings were exploding and…”

Bruce chuckled at Clark’s excitement before interrupting him “yes, _The Mad Bomber_ ” he added with fondness “I didn’t actually see that one until they released the series on video.”

“Really? Why?” Clark asked, curiously. Bruce couldn’t be more than a few years younger than him, old enough to be able to see the Gray Ghost when it aired so many years ago.

“I fell asleep when my Dad and I were watching the show,” Bruce said, trying to hide the sadness those memories had, “but when I bought the Gray Ghost video collection, it was the first thing I did,” he added with a quick, simple laugh.

“It was a great episode,” Clark said, wanting to distract Wayne from the sadness that was starting to show in his eyes.

“Yeah, it was,” Bruce said, with his eyes a little glossy, “but not as great as _Have a Heart_.”

“The first one?” Clark asked, surprised at his choice of the episode. It wasn’t a bad one, just not his favourite per se.

“It was the one that made me fall in love with the mystery of The Gray Ghost,” Bruce said with a shrug “I know it’s not the best in the show, but it’s my favourite because it was the first time I spent time with my dad doing something we both love.”

Bruce silenced himself, as he grew more uncomfortable and knew he had shared too much with Clark. But that was the thing; ever since he met Clark, he found himself trusting and confiding in the man when normally he wouldn’t. The writer had a knack for tearing down every wall Bruce had ever built without an effort, just by putting on a smile, and Bruce hated that, as he knew Clark would never choose him or stay by his side.

_He said so in his play, he will choose his fiancée over anyone else_ , Bruce thought at the hope of destroying every bit of hope he had in his heart. _Do not fall for this guy, Bruce, do not do it._

Clark, on his part, by Wayne’s expression knew that what he just revealed was something special and meaningful, making something special in Clark’s eyes.

“My favourite one is _Missing Link_ , remember that one?” Clark asked curiously, talking somewhat quickly because he was nervous but wanted to share this with Bruce, as he had shared something personal as well, “it was the first one I saw with my dad, as we didn’t have a TV when Gray Ghost started airing. We actually had to work a lot on the Farm in order to be able to buy a TV” he remembered with fondness, as the memory of his childhood always put a smile on his face.

“You grew up on a farm?” Bruce asked while he re-accommodated Damian in his arms, as the little boy had fallen asleep during the walk.

“Yes, yes, I did” Clark answered proudly “in Smallville, Kansas.”

“Damian would love there,” Bruce said while looking at his son.

“Why?” Clark asked curiously as he looked, puzzled, at the child.

“He loves animals” Bruce replied with a chuckle, “I think it’s his mission in life to have as many animals as humanly possible.”

“A zoo?” Clark asked, not believing someone could have a lot of animals in the city.

“Yes, we currently have a cow, a dog, a cat but he’s looking for the next animal to adopt.” Bruce answered with a smile.

“And, are you okay with having that many animals?” Clark asked, incredulously.

Bruce shrugged before answering “He’s happy so I’m happy.”

Clark kept quiet for a while before saying something. Maybe it was not his place, but maybe Bruce needed to hear it and there was no one to tell him otherwise. _Maybe that Alfred guy, wonder who that is_.

“Can I tell you something? It’s not bad, it’s just something I’ve been thinking,” Clark asked, cautiously as he sense he could lose the small trust he had already gained.

“Sure,” Bruce said nonchalantly although his heart was a million miles per hour. _Don’t get excited, it’s probably nothing_ he said to himself as a mantra while trying to slow down his heart.

“Is just that…” Clark began before taking a deep breath “It’s not your fault that your ex left. You shouldn’t try to buy your kids forgiveness for what they did.”

Bruce said nothing, just looked at him trying to decipher the man. He knew Clark meant well, and at some level, he had a point, but the writer knew too much already, and Bruce didn’t want to lean on him more than he already did. However, when looking at how happy Dick and Jason were while playing with Titus, he knew in his heart Clark was the reason for that.

“I’m not trying to buy their forgiveness,” he said while still looking at his sons, “but I am trying to compensate them over what Talia did” he added like it tasted sour in his mouth. “I know it’s not entirely my fault, is just…”

Bruce stayed silent after that, and Clark realised once again how hard it was for him to be talking about that.

“It’s okay, we don’t have to talk about that” Clark said after a moment of silence “I understand the feeling.” _But I have a name, finally, Talia._

Bruce just hummed, somehow knowing Clark meant it when he said he understood.

For a while, neither man said a thing, both of them enjoying the kid’s happiness and the quietness of the street. They were approaching a big old house, near the end of the town. The grate that was guarding the place was big and rusty, meaning it had been there for a while.

As they crossed the gate Clark could see the house was really antique, with gargoyles and intricate decoration adorning its exterior. The house had a big, wide garden, full of roses and shaped bushes, making him wonder why the Wayne family would choose to go to the Park if they had a garden that was bigger than the entirety of the park.

“My mother used to take care of this garden,” Bruce said, like he could read Clark’s mind and answer the question inside his mind, “the boys and I don’t feel right to play there, as she loved every plant and leaf that is in there.”

“It’s beautiful” Clark added as he admired every form and detail the Garden had in its interior.

“We are here,” Bruce said when they stopped in front of a door bigger than any door Clark had ever seen, “thank you for walking with us,” he added as he turned to see face to face the man beside him.

“It was no problem, really,” Clark answered wholeheartedly “my pleasure.”

At that, Bruce blushed and looked away from Clark’s eyes, making the writer miss those blue eyes.

“Boys, say goodbye and thank you to Mr Clark for walking with us” Bruce ordered his sons while they were running in the entrance of the house with Titus. Hearing their Father’s voice made them stop and walk slowly towards them.

“Thank you, Mr Clark,” the boys said in unison once they were near them.

“For the story you told us in the park” added Jason with excitement and joy.

“And for walking with us,” said Dick after Jason.

“We would like to invite you to diner sometime,” the boys said at the same time after sharing a complicity look that made Bruce’s stomach twist in impossible shapes.

“Kids, I…” Bruce started to say, worried about his children intentions.

“Actually, I was going to invite you over to my house for dinner on Friday,” Clark said all of the sudden, surprising himself and Bruce. He just knew he didn’t want to not hang out with Bruce and his sons that extra time.

“YEII!!” Dick and Jason yelled, waking Damian up.

“Father, what’s going on?” asked the boy with a sleepy voice.

“Mr Clark has just invited us to his house for dinner!” Dick exclaimed as he approached his little brother and carried him out of their father’s arms.

“Right now?” Damian asked disorientated, looking everywhere for the answer.

“No, silly” Dick answered, amused, “On Friday!” 

During the whole exchange, Bruce was looking mortified while Jason was looking extremely amused, like he knew a secret Bruce didn’t, which in return annoyed Bruce a little more. 

_He has a fiancée, you idiot!_ He chastised himself, _what do you think it’s going to happen? You’re all going to have a beautiful diner, she’s going to be amazing and he’s going to be great with the boys and then they’ll realise they want to have kids and Clark will stop his visits at the Park and my kids will be sad again and…_

“Is it okay with you?” Clark asked, interrupting his internal musings.

Bruce turned to look at him, ready to snap and tell him that no, it was not okay with him, but at the sight of Clark’s hopeful look and bright eyes, all his negatives went away, leaving only a warm feeling in his heart.

“Is it okay with your girlfriend?” he asked instead, tearing his eyes away from Clark and towards his children, who were all discussing the upcoming dinner.

“In fact,” Clark lied once more, easier than in the beginning, “she asked me to do so. She was really excited to meet you guys.” 

_Where are all this lies coming from,_ Clark thought, a little worried about how easily he was lying to Bruce, but then he thought how sad the man had look at the thought of his fiancée that Clark didn’t have the heart to say to him that Lois barely knew about him _, besides, I know Lois will love Bruce, he’s a great friend of mine… Wait, are we friends?_

“Bruce…” but before he could ask the question, Jason came running towards him, with his face all bright thanks to his wide smile.

“Mr Clark, we would love to go to have dinner with you on Friday,” he said in a small, sweet voice, the voice Bruce knew Jason planed something but wanted to stay on his good side before anything happened.

However, Clark had yet to be immune to that voice.

“Right, Dad?” Jason asked looking innocently at Bruce, with his bottom lip slightly out and looking up with puppy eyes. _He means trouble_ , Bruce thought before sighing and turning to look at Clark’s expectant look.

His two remaining sons came running towards him, all looking eager to hear his answer.

“Tim says he would love to go, and Alfred is sure he’ll be okay by Friday!” Dick announced excitedly before his father could say anything.

“Are you sure about this, Clark?” Bruce asked, anxious about being too much for the writer.

“100% sure, Bruce,” Clark responded with a big hopeful smile on his face.

_He’s going to be my downfall_ , Bruce thought before pressing a hand to his forehead. “If that’s what you want kids, sure, we can go to Mr Clark’s house on Friday.”

“YEI!!” the children yelled once more before they started running towards the house.

“See you tomorrow Mr Clark!” Dick and Jason said as goodbye while they entered the house.

“Until tomorrow, Mr Kent,” Damian said, startling Clark, as he thought Damian had run inside alongside his brothers.

“See you tomorrow Damian” he answered, kneeling at the kid’s height and offering his hand. 

Damian shook his hand, with his eyebrow raised, before turning around and walking inside the house.

“So…” Clark said after an awkward silence between him and Bruce “I guess that means we’ll see each other tomorrow at the Park?”

Bruce just looked at him puzzled before he started laughing, at first really quiet but later wholeheartedly.

Clark knew Bruce didn’t mean it in a mocking way, and hearing that melodic sound once more made him feel like he was flying and under the bright Sun, full of energy and vitality. It didn’t take long for Clark to be laughing as well, simply at how happy it made him hear Bruce laughing so freely and fully.

“See you tomorrow, Clark,” the man said once he finished laughing before turning around and started walking inside the house.

“Same time, same place?” Clark asked, just to be sure, but with a playful spirit.

“Bye, Clark” Bruce answered while turning around to see him and sending him a warm, bright smile.

“See you, Bruce,” the writer murmured, watching the man close the door. 

Now the question was… how was he going to tell Lois about the diner?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Clark's character has a little OOC, but believe me, there's a reason for it.  
> Please, be patient, after all this IS a slow burn story.  
> Hope you liked it.


End file.
